Playback ’04] Shigeo Nagashima’s Passion for Athens… Four months after his emergency hospitalization, “Miracle of Rehabilitation”.
“Actually, a few days ago, I talked directly with Director Nagashima on the phone. I encouraged him, saying, ‘I’m registered as a director. He is still paralyzed in his right arm, but I encouraged him, saying, ‘You can walk alone. He is still paralyzed in his right arm, but he said, ‘I can walk by myself now. He is still paralyzed in his right arm, but he is able to walk by himself and doesn’t need a cane anymore. He is now receiving Chinese acupuncture treatment. He says he will consult with Akiko, Kazushige, and the rest of the family, as well as the doctor, and leave the final decision to me. So, I’ll go ahead with Nagashima as originally planned.
Will Mr. Nagashima, who has been working hard on his rehabilitation, be able to show us a “make-me-miracle” in Athens?
In the end, however, Mr. Nagashima’s wish did not come true. At a press conference held on August 2, Kazushige said, “I just couldn’t take the risk of going to Athens. Head coach Kiyoshi Nakahata (then 50) took command of the national team.
The Japanese baseball team for the Athens Olympics was a “dream team” made up entirely of professional players for the first time, although the team was limited to two players from each baseball team. In the preliminary league, the team went through to the top with a brilliant record of 6 wins and 1 loss, including the first defeat of Cuba in the Olympics. However, they lost to Australia in the semifinals and ended up winning the bronze medal.
On July 3, 2005, Mr. Kubota made his first appearance in front of fans at the Tokyo Dome for the Giants vs. Hiroshima game, and his smile, unchanged for a year and four months, was met with applause and cheers from the stands.
Mr. Nagashima also made a surprise appearance at the “Shigeo Nagashima Day” special game held at Tokyo Dome in May this year to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Giants, much to the delight of the fans.
